Heat-exchange apparatus



Feb. 23 1926.,

C. E. L. LlPMAN HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2l, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 23 1926.

C. E. L. LIPMAN HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2l. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb.r 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEFlcE.

l CARL E. L. LIPMAN, 0F BELOIT, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 LIPMAN REFRIGERATION' COMPANY, OF IBELOIT, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS.

Application led January 21, 1924. Serial No. 687,465.

To all whom t may concern:

Be itl known that I, CARL E. L. LIPMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beloit, in the count-y of Rock and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heat-Exchange Apparatus, of which the following is a speoiiication.

This invention relates to heat exchange storage cabinets ofv thel type in which brine or other solution customarily employed in the extraction of the heat units from the food containers set into the brine tank or chamber is'entirely eliminated and the desired refrigeration eifect is secured by arranging cooling coils in the chamber; and the present invention has more particular reference to the construction of the food containers and to the manner in which the cooling coils are associated therewith for maintaining the desired temperatures.

One of the primary purposes of my invention is therefore, to provide in a heat exchange apparatus of the character described, improved food-containing units. In the preferred embodiment, each unit is in the form of a relatively thick walled cast metal shell, providing a plurality of contiguous but independent chambers each adapted for containing food products, and a refrigerating coil having convolutions surrounding the .shell in' heat-conducting contact therewith for extracting heat units from each chamber. This construction serves to prevent. any

. rgpidv-fltglations of temperature within any of the chambers resulting from opening one or -another. It is also exceptionally strong and durable so as to effeetually withstand the hard usage to which these chambers are subjected, especially when used for storage of ice cream containers.

-' Another purpose is to provide grooves in the shell and to wind the cooling, coil in such grooves for securing greater surface contact and therefore, conduction between the coils to further unite the shell and coil, making an integral structure.

Other objects and attendant advantages of my invention should be appreciated as the saine becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view partially in sectioi, of a cabinet embodying my invention; an

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, it will be observed that the cabinet proper comprises side walls 3, bottom 4, end walls 5, and a top 6, all comprising in their construction heat-insulating; material so as to provide a heat insulated chamber in which the food containers are disposed. IVhile the structure of the walls of the cabinetl'nay be widely varied, they preferably comprise a metal outer wall 7 lined with corkboard or other suitable heat insulating materiai 3, over the inner surface of which is laid a layer of asphalt 9, the whole construction being lined with a metal lining 11.

A plurality of open-top food containers are disposed within the chamber thus formed, six of such containers being shown in the present drawing for illustrative purposes and indicated by reference characters 12, .13, 14, 15, 16 and 17, respectively. A removable cover 18 also formed of heat-insulating material is adapted to vclose the top of eachy container. The construction of these containers will 'be described more fully hereinafter.

The refrigerating work 'performed upon the containers may be produced by any suitable refrigerating machine, and in the present instance I have shown for illustrative purposes merely, a conventional machine which is indicated generally by reference character 19, the machine being of the compression type and having a regulatable expansion valve 21 interposed in the expansion pipei22 of the circuit, the suction pipe 23 leading from the expansion coils, being connected withthe intake side of the compressor in the usual manner. This refrigerating machine may be mounted in any convenient location remote from or in proximityto the -cooling chamber, but for convenience it is tainers are each in the form of a relatively.

thick walled cylindrical castingv having grooves formed in its periphery for the reception of convolutions of the cooling coil. In the preferred embodiment, the containers are cast in pairs, enbloc, forming integral castings or shells, each providing two cylindrical containers as shown plainly in Fig. 1. The containers in each shell are in contiguous relation but for independent storage purpose. Each shell or casting has formed intermediate its cylindricalv containers, walls 24 tangential to such containers, and formed with grooves registering with the peripheral grooves for the cooling coil.

The containers being arranged within the cabinet as shown, the refrigerating medipm after leaving the expansion valve 21 is distributed by the pipe 22 into a pipe 25 dis-l posed within the cooling chamber of the cabinet. This pipe is extended longitudinally of the cabinet as shown in Fig. 1, and isl then coiled snugly around the most remote container unit-comprising the containers 16 and 17, the convolutions of the coil being wound in the'grooves in the shell, which grooves extend spirally about the periphery of the shell. Viewing Fig. 2, it will be observed that the convolutions of the coil 25 about said remote shell are arranged relatively close together and in intimate Contact with the periphery of both containers and -the walls lioining them, so that these containers will be operated at the minimum temperature.

The cooling. pipe is extended from the lowerwost convolution of the first coil, to the next adjacent shell forming the containers 14 and 15 and is coiled spirally about this shell upwardly thereof, the convolutions being fewer in number and spaced farther apart than in the coil about the Erst mentioned shell. By reason of the; fewer number of eonvolutions about this second shell and the refrigerating work previously performed by the refrigerating medium in the coil 25 before it reaches the coil 26, the temperature in the second shell will be somewhat higher than in the first'.

From the coil 26 the cooling pipe is eX- .action of the coils p. disposed within the chamber. \\It will be seen from the foregoing that with the arrangement disclosed, I have providedrfor the maintenance of three different temperatures in corresponding sets of containers. Obviously, however, the containers may be arranged in groups of more than two, or they may be singly wound and cmbraced by the expansion coil instead of be# ing disposed in pairs, as show-n. For the purpose of further insuring the maintenance of a very low temperature of the containers 16 and 17, these containers are partitioned off from the remainder of the cooling chamber by a heat-insulating partition wall 27. These containers, therefore, not only receive the greatestmefrigerating effect from the coils, but equalization of temperature between this end of the cabinet and the remainder thereof, which might result to a greater or less degree from air circulation, is precluded by the partition 27. The containers cast enbloc will by reason of their relatively thick walled shell hold their low temperature with less variation and are considerably more durable than sheet metal containers. Furthermore, greater cooling efficiency is obtained by winding the cooling coils in the peripheral grooves and by grouping a number of containers in a single casting in the manner shown. Still greater conductivity between its shell and its cooling coil is attained by dipping the `unit in a metal bath, as for example by galv anizing it, preferably both inside and out.

It is believed that the construction, operation and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be understoodfron` the foregoing without further description, and it should be manifest that the structural details illustrated and described maybe variedl within considerable limits without departing from the essence of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1.. A heat exchange apparatus 4comprising a thick walled metal shell providing a plurality of chambers each adapted to contain produce to be cooled, and a refrigerating coil having convolutions wound on said shell. l

2. A heat exchange apparatus comprising a cast metal shell shaped to provide a plurality of chambers in 'contiguous relation each adapted to contain produce to be cooled and being peripherally grooved, and a refrigerating coil having convolutions about 5 said shell wound in said grooves.

3. A heat exchange apparatus comprising a plurality of cylindrical chambers cast en bloc with tangential walls joining the chambers, and a refrigerating coil surrounding 10 and having heat-conducting contact with the periphery of said chambers and the intermedlate tangential walls.

4. A heat exchange storage cabinet comprising a cooling chamber having heat insulating walls, a cast thick wall shell providing a plurality of containers extending into said chamber, and a refrigerating coil having convolutions surrounding said shell in heatconducting contact therewith.

CARL E. L. LIPMAN. 

